ICD-9-CM coding and DRG changes for fiscal year 2005 include 150 new diagnosis codes, 21 new V codes, 54 new procedure codes, 25 invalid diagnosis codes, and 3 new DRGs. The changes were released in the August 11 Federal Register and went into effect October 1, 2004, for discharges occurring o....

AHIMA held its 80th Convention and Exhibit October 11–16, 2008, in Seattle, WA. It was a time for members to share ideas, challenges, and solutions and hear about some of healthcare’s hottest topics from industry experts. A full exhibit hall offered a collection of the latest in HIM....

The annual AHIMA ICD-10 Summit is dedicated to the exploration of the challenges and opportunities represented in the transition to the 5010 HIPAA transaction and ICD-10-CM/PCS coding systems. The 2011 ICD-10 Summit featured information, resources, and networking opportunities to help at....

This article highlights the 2014 ICD-10-CM/PCS updates as approved by the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee, which includes representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Center for Health Statistics. As a result of the partial code set....

Although they were minimal, the 2015 ICD-10-CM Coding Guidelines contained some updates that should be reviewed, as they provide additional clarification for coding in ICD-10-CM. A complete set of the 2015 guidelines can be found on the CMS website. Several of the guideline changes and upd....

As the US healthcare industry experiences yet another delay in ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation, misunderstandings surrounding the ICD-10-CM/PCS transition continue to perpetuate. This article addresses a few of the most common misperceptions—myths that need to be exposed with fact-based....

Seven stories unfolding in 2011 illustrate the sweeping changes under way in what will be an active and sometimes tumultuous year in health information management. Each year brings change to HIM, whether it is coding modifications, compliance changes, or new technology. But 2011 promises....

There are three age-defined models under commercial risk adjustment. These are the Adult Model (ages 21 and up), the Child Model (ages 2–21), and the Infant Model (ages 0–1). The model applicable to a patient is dependent on their age at the end of the benefit year. If a 20-year-old patie....